10 clever ways to refashion old silk saris

Take the recycle route. Here's how you can lend a new look to your old silk sari.

All of us have a bunch of old silk saris that belong to our mums or grandmothers that unfortunately haven't been touched for years.

Most of us don't use it because the handiwork makes it so heavy that it's almost unfit for regular wear.

The best way to use these old silk saris is to re-purpose them into something that can be worn easily and multiple times.

In fact, three years back, to prepare my own wedding trousseau, I picked up some of my mother's old silk saris and turned them into western and fusion wear.

I wear them because they are comfortable and just right for my liking.

These are few of the things I myself made out of old silk saris and something you can also easily do.

Reuse the borders on new outfits

This is a great way to retain old world charm and fuse it with the new.

You can cut the borders from the saris that can no longer be used and stitch them over a new outfit.

Add them to new saris or suits or even long kurtis and dupattas.

Turn into anarkalis

This is one of my favourite things to do with an old silk sari and it's also something that I have personally tried with three of my mother's old pieces.

Of course, the way you design an anarkali depends entirely on your personal choice.

But we would suggest that a floor length anarkali would be perfect if you are re-purposing an old silk sari. That way you can flaunt the entire design and those big borders to make it all look ethereal.

Turn them into lehenga

Instead of investing a whole lot of money on designer lehengas, why not use your mother's old silk sari creatively?

You can either use the pallu of the sari as the dupatta and make a new skirt and blouse or use the entire sari as the skirt and the pallu as its blouse and team it with a new dupatta.

Turn it into dupatta

This is one the easiest ways to reuse an old silk sari.

All you have to do is use the pallu or the middle part of the sari as a dupatta.

You could also cut the borders of the sari and add them to a new dupatta.

Another way to upcycle the sari is to make a scarf. This is in case the sari is not in a usable state and you still want to use it somehow.

Turn them into floor length kurtis

What a stunning way to display the entire sari without having to destroy or throw away any part.

A floor length kurti gives you the opportunity to be super creative with the sari.

With this kind of kurti you do not need a dupatta or anything to cover it up.

Just simple accessories to accentuate the kurti should be enough.

Turn them into dresses

If you are not very much into traditional clothes but still have a soft spot for your mother's old silk sari, this is the way for you.

Use the sari material as the base of a dress and create any design that you so desire.

Skater and short length dresses would be best because you don't want a western outfit to look very traditional.

Turn them into skirts

Using the sari to make a skirt is also a great way to retain your mum's prized possession and make it super wearable.

You can either use the skirt to team it up with a quirky western top or you can do a fusion and make it look trendy.

Turn them into jackets

This is again something I personally did to a powder blue banarasi sari.

It's a great option for those who like it simple yet trendy but with a hint of tradition.

Look at how Sonam Kapoor is carrying it off and she looks anything but graceful and trendy.

You can team this jacket with nice chunky earrings that could either be traditional or even modern.

Turn them into palazzos

Just like you can turn your mum old silk sari into a skirt, you can turn them into palazzos.

They are currently in fashion so this it right time to create some haute palazzos!

You can team them with noodle strap crop tops or even with long kurtis.

Not only are they comfortable, but they also add an extra oomph factor to your outfit.

Turn them into accessories

As they say, last but not the least. You can use the old silk sari to turn them into accessories like shoes or jewellery or even purses.

We personally loved how designer Gaurang Shah has used the cloth material on a shoe to make it look vintage and classic.

If you are fond of DIY (do it yourself), jewellery could be the easiest you can work with along with purses that you can also design at home.

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7 super cool ways to recycle your bridal lehenga

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